


You Work Too Hard

by fiercekatjae



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Drinking, Fluff, Implied Past Relationships, M/M, Mutual Pining, Woozi, jigyu - Freeform, jihoon - Freeform, mingyu - Freeform, sleepy woozi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-01-07 12:53:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12233247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiercekatjae/pseuds/fiercekatjae
Summary: Woozi was tired. It had been weeks since he had slept properly. The only one that can get him to open up and finally rest...is Mingyu.





	1. Chapter 1

"Baby, what's wrong? You've been acting really-" Mingyu was cut off mid sentence.

"DONT. Call me that." Jihoon hissed, throwing a pillow from the couch he was sitting on at Mingyu. Mingyu caught the pillow, staying quiet as he watched the stylist take off the last of the stage makeup that had previously caked jihoon's face. Mingyu pouted. He set the pillow down and went to sit next to jihoon. As soon as the stylist was finished, he stood up and stormed out of the dressing room, pushing a few people who didn't see him coming out of his way. Mingyu sighed and stood up again, following jihoon into the waiting van. Jihoon had his legs up to his chest, squishing himself into the very back corner of the very back seat. His eyes were closed, and his hair fell into his face in the most beautiful way as he leaned against the window. Quietly, Mingyu slid into the van and touched jihoon's leg gently. 

"Hyung," he said softly, to which the smaller boy opened one eye. "I didn't mean to make you mad, Hyung...." it was always so amusing to jihoon when Mingyu, or anyone else, called him hyung when other people were listening, as they always got a second glance. a smile tugged at the corners of jihoons mouth, but he quickly put an end to that and shoved Mingyu away. Being sweet and gentle wasn't working, so Mingyu looked around to make sure no one was watching before he firmly pulled jihoon into his lap. "Listen to me, i know you're tired." Jihoon squirmed, but it was useless against the bigger man. "Please just let me in..." he whispered, hands finding their way into red hair. Jihoon immediately relaxed, hands gripping Mingyu' shirt. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing tears not to fall. He was angry. Angry that this boy, who was younger than him, could make him fall apart with just a few words. It scared him. The last time someone had this effect on him, he ended up heartbroken. As he tried once more to push away, mingyu spoke up again. "It's okay to be tired, Hyung, we all are..." Jihoon broke. He buried his head in Mingyu's shoulder and cried. Mingyu just held him tighter, rubbing small circles into his lower back. It was ugly crying. As the other members began to get in, they squished themselves into the front rows of the van, letting them have the space that Mingyu silently pleaded for every time someone else climbed in. He needed to show jihoon that he could be trusted with the deepest thoughts and feelings he had. 

Jihoon sniffed quietly the whole way back to the dorm, and when they got there, Mingyu carried him inside on his back. He went straight to their shared bedroom and let jihoon down onto his bed. He opened the closet and pulled out all the extra blankets and pillows and threw them all on the bed. Jihoon took them and made himself a cocoon under all of them, not one part of him sticking out. "Leave me alone." He said, voice muffled. 

"Jihoon-ah..." Mingyu said softly. "I'm right over here if you want to talk, okay?" He sighed, settling for the lack of a response and climbing into his own bed. He stared at the pile of blankets on the other bed, watching it rise and fall, gradually slowing with each breath the smaller boy took. His mind wandered back to the time they were trainees, watching Jihoon hanging off the arms of other guys in the company, most with terrible intentions, because he was convinced it would take him further in the company. It seemed like every other day Jihoon would show up to practices looking like he'd been drinking and crying all night. Then, he became Seventeen's Woozi. And when he became woozi, he became guarded and secretive.

"I'm never ever falling in love again." Jihoon proclaimed one night, after a few shots. "I'm never going to be the cute little boy that anyone can just fuck for a week then throw away" mingyu had been listening to the older boy pour his heart out in a drunken ramble during their debut celebration. "I'm woozi now, nobody can touch me now" he would repeat over and over that night. Mingyu remembered rubbing jihoon's back as he puked his guts out that same night, carrying him to bed as he cried about losing his most recent boyfriend.


	2. Drunken Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jihoon feels like he can’t keep up with the other members of his new group, so he decides that to get to the top, he may have to do some favors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Implied possible non-con but I’m not sure yet because I haven’t gotten that far! There’s absolutely nothing explicit in this chapter. Just be aware if anything like that is a sensitive topic for you!

Mingyu had been watching one of the other boys in the audition room. He was small and shy looking, with shaggy black hair. He kept biting his nails and jumping every time one of their numbers was called. Eventually, the small boy’s number was called and he nearly knocked his chair over as he leapt up and followed the audition judge into a room.

Mingyu sighed. He was one of the last boys left in the room that hadn’t been called. He tried to avoid the awkward eye contact that was being exchanged between the few of them. 

“Last one, Kim Mingyu!” The judge called and Mingyu felt like the elephant had gotten off of his chest. He silently cheered for himself as he followed the judge into the room the other boys had gone into. He immediately noticed the boy from before, sitting in a chair along the wall with 11 other boys. Mingyu sat in the last chair, right next to the boy. He half listened as the judges and managers explained what they would be doing next. They were going to be documenting their lives as trainees in a web show. If they gained enough popularity, they would debut. The managers then grouped them into units based on their strongest audition. Mingyu’s heart sank a bit when he watched the boy go off to another corner of the room with another sub group. They were given instructions to introduce themselves and make friends quick as they would be moving into a dorm together within the week.

—

Jihoon lifted his suitcase up onto the bottom bunk of one of the sets of bunk beds. He had never had the pleasure of sharing a room with anyone, much less five other guys. Mingyu walked into the room, dragging a suitcase and backpack behind him. He looked around the small room and saw the boy from the auditions. 

“You’re Jihoon, right?” Jihoon looked up. 

“Yeah! Mingyu?” Mingyu nodded.

“Is it okay if I take this one?” Mingyu patted the bunk above jihoons and jihoon nodded.

The other members began arriving, and by that evening they were all sitting in their living room fighting over what to watch on Netflix. Jihoon was preoccupied, however, checking his phone every 30 seconds. Eventually, he got up from the floor he was laying on.

“Where are you going?” One of the other members asked.

“Oh, uh, out...with some friends” jihoon said shyly, stuffing his phone in his pocket and heading out the front door rather quickly.

“$10 it’s a girl” Hoshi laughed, elbowing the boys on either side of him. Mingyu felt something in his stomach.

“We aren’t allowed to date, don’t be dumb..” mingyu said, pretending to laugh at the end, playing it off.

—

Late that night, the front door creaked open and jihoon held onto it to stop himself from falling over. he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make the room stop spinning. He closed the door, steadying himself against it once more before carefully walking to his new bedroom, tripping over one of the half unpacked suitcases on the floor and landing with a thud. Mingyu sat up, startled out of a deep sleep. “Who is that...” he said, whisper-yelling.

“It’s me, hyung...” jihoon mumbled, mistaking Mingyu as older.

“What are you doing?” Mingyu asked softly, trying not to wake everyone else up. 

“Can’t...find my bed...” jihoon sighed, pushing himself up. Mingyu leaned over and looked at jihoon.

“Are you drunk?” Mingyu asked sharply.

“A lot...” was jihoons reply. Mingyu climbed off the top bunk, holding jihoons shoulders and guiding him in the direction of his bunk. 

“Are you okay?” Mingyu asked. “Just keep laying down okay? Go to sleep...” he said softly.

“I think I’m gonna die...” jihoon mumbled, closing his eyes. 

“You aren’t going to die, jihoon...just go to sleep...if you need anything I’m right above you okay?” Mingyu pulled jihoons blankets up around him.

“I didn’t think they were gonna do that hyung...” jihoon mumbled, snuggling into his blankets.

“Do what...?” Mingyu asked. “Who?” Jihoon shook his head.

“I can’t tell you...” jihoon sighed, turning over to face the wall.


	3. A little Woozi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by that one video of svt as trainees when woozi kept rubbing his cheeks because his teeth hurt!!!! I had dry sockets when I got my wisdom teeth out and I was unable to function for a solid month it hurt so bad 

Jihoon arrived late to practice that day with puffy cheeks and heavy eyelids. Just hours earlier he had gotten his wisdom teeth removed, but management insisted he be at practice, since they would be filming. Mingyu frowned as the other members fawned over jihoon, much to jihoon’s annoyance. However, he was just drugged up enough to not put up a fight. As the other members messed around for the camera, mingyu pulled jihoon aside, out of the frame.

“Are you okay hyung? Does it hurt too much?” He asked.

“I’m okay gyu, really...it’s not that bad now.” Jihoon yawned. 

“You still aren’t supposed to be up and dancing this soon...” mingyu said. “If it hurts too bad and you want to go home, tell me and I’ll take you. I’ll deal with manager.” Jihoon nodded and went with mingyu to join the other members. 

After just one run-through of their new dance, jihoon was grabbing onto mingyu’s arm, looking as though he was going to fall over. Mingyu quickly wrapped his arm around jihoon. 

“Let’s go sit down...” mingyu said, walking with jihoon out into the hallway. Jihoon lowered himself into a chair.

“I think I’m going to pass out...” he mumbled, letting his head rest against the wall behind him. 

“I’m gonna go get manager hyung...” mingyu said, patting jihoon’s hand and going off down the hallway. Not long after he was returning with their manager.

“I’m sorry jihoon-ah, we didn’t think you’d be in so much pain so soon, we just wanted you to get a good practice in before the numbing wore off...” their manager said, sitting in the chair next to jihoon and calling his surgeon to ask about the reactions jihoon was having. 

“I’ll make it up, as soon as I can I’ll put in double time...” jihoon said, “whatever I have to do, I can’t get behind...” he reached up to wipe the tears forming in his eyes. 

“We know you will.” Mingyu couldn’t help but notice the smirk playing on their managers lips as he hung up the phone. It gave him a really gross feeling.

“I’ll take him home.” Mingyu said firmly, standing up, starting to help jihoon stand up. Their manager started to object, but mingyu had already let jihoon climb onto his back and was striding down the hallway. 

-  
Once jihoon was as comfortable as he could be in his bed, mingyu went into their kitchen to find the post-surgery instructions. He looked them over, and filled up a bag of ice.

“You aren’t supposed to take any of your medicine until later, but I got some ice...” he sat on the side of Jihoon’s bed, gently holding the towel wrapped ice pack on the older boy’s cheek. Jihoon closed his eyes, sighing softly as he leaned into the cold pack. “Once you’re done with your ice, try and take a nap okay?” Jihoon grabbed mingyu’s hand to move the ice to the other side of his face. Mingyu felt his ears heat up at what should have been an insignificant touch. He bit his lip when jihoon’s hand lingered over his for longer than he was expecting. Jihoon hated skinship the most out of all the other members, but in his fog of pain and surgery drugs, all he wanted was to hold onto something that he knew was really there. 

Mingyu stayed on jihoon’s bed, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath. Once the ice was mostly melted, he carefully removed his hand from jihoon’s. Jihoon opened his eyes again. “I’m sorry, I’m just going to throw this out, you can go back to sleep..” mingyu stood up, heading to the kitchen to throw the ice pack away. Jihoon was sitting up when he came back

“Can I sleep with you?” Jihoon asked, and mingyu froze. 

“I-...uh...yeah, sure...” he stumbled, trying to act cool and hide the fact that he was totally and completely head over heels in love with this boy. Jihoon scooted over on his bunk to give mingyu room. Mingyu slid under the covers next to jihoon, and jihoon immediately snuggled himself into mingyu’s side. 

“ ‘m sorry...I’m just...kinda woozy right now...” jihoon mumbled, resting his head on the younger mans chest.

“Don’t worry about it hyung, just get some sleep okay?” Mingyu carefully pet jihoon’s hair, hoping the other boy couldn’t hear his heart beating a million miles an hour.

“They like having sex with me...” jihoon said suddenly.

“What?” Mingyu’s hand stopped where it was on jihoon’s hair.

“The managers, we go drink and then we have sex.” Jihoon said, nonchalantly. 

“Jihoon-ah...that’s-“ he was cut off.

“It’ll make us famous, I promise.” Jihoon said, pushing himself up to look straight at mingyu before yawning and settling back into his chest. Mingyu was stunned, unsure if he now knew more than he was supposed to know. All he could bring himself to do was hold jihoon a little bit closer, and lay awake while he slept off the rest of the anesthesia.


	4. Hazy nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy this is a long one. Before you read ahead, if rape/non-con/drunk sex is triggering for you, don’t read this chapter. Nothing explicit really, but it’s heavily implied. 
> 
> YALLS COMMENTS HAD ME ON A ROLL I HAD NO IDEA PEOPLE WERE GONNA LIKE THIS!

Mingyu chewed on the eraser end of his pencil as he stared at the homework problems in front of him. He was starting to get frustrated enough to put it away for the night. As he set his pencil down, the bedroom door opened and Jihoon was slinging his backpack under his bed. 

“Hyung, did you take this class last year?” Mingyu sighed, looking over his shoulder as jihoon walked to stand behind his chair. 

“Yeah, are you lost?” Jihoon said, glancing at his papers.

“Yeah, I don’t get this part about standard deviations and that...equation stuff...” Mingyu’s voice trailed off as jihoon slid his arms over his shoulders, picking up the pencil, and resting his head on Mingyu’s shoulder. 

“Well, your calculator will do all of the work to get this value, you just have to type in...” Mingyu was already zoning out watching jihoon scribble on his paper, almost becoming intoxicated at the older boy being so close to him. “Think you got it now?”

“Yeah, I...yeah I got it, thanks hyung...” mingyu said quietly. 

“You alright..?” Jihoon asked, leaning his head on Mingyu’s. Mingyu sighed heavily.

“I’m fine, I’m just...tired.” Jihoon took a step back and mingyu almost begged him not to. 

“Go to bed early tonight, yeah?” Jihoon patted the younger boy’s head. Mingyu nodded, scratching his head and trying to make sense of Jihoon’s notes. 

Jihoon strode over to the closet that nearly all of them shared, and flicked through shirts and pants before pulling out a big sweater and some ripped up black jeans. He stripped out of his school uniform and slid into the clothes he picked out. 

“Does this look cute? Should I go out in this?” He spun back around to face Mingyu. Mingyu looked up from his paper. Jihoon was wearing his sweater. And it hung off of his small frame so beautifully. It was just a sweater and jeans, but Mingyu was at a loss for words at how good jihoon made it look.

“Yeah hyung, where are you going?” He said, chewing on his pencil instead of his lips. 

“Mmm...just out.” Jihoon said, skirting around the question as he messed with his hair in their mirror, picking a cologne from the row of bottles they all seemed to share. 

“With who? The other members?” Mingyu pressed on, recalling the information Jihoon had revealed to him while he was still loopy from his wisdom teeth surgery. 

“Mm no..” jihoon said, a little quieter this time. “Just friends, okay? You guys dont know them...”

“Can I g-“ Mingyu was almost immediately cut off. 

“No...uh...I just...wanna keep my celebrity life separate from my old life...okay?” Jihoon scrambled for an excuse for his sudden reaction. “We can go out together some other time okay?” Mingyu nearly grinned at the thought of that. 

“Don’t do anything...stupid hyung, okay?” Mingyu sighed, wondering if he was doing the right thing by letting Jihoon go where he was nearly certain he was going. Before he could say anything else, Jihoon was closing the door behind him. Mingyu listened to his footsteps down the stairway of their dorm building. He pushed himself away from his desk and walked into the living room. 

“Seungcheol hyung? Can I talk to you for a second? Alone?” He called from the doorway. Seungcheol looked up from the video game he was playing with Soonyoung.

“Hold on, I’ll be right back.” Seungcheol said, pausing their game.

“It’s jihoon, he keeps going out like...every other night? And I’m-“ He was cut off again.

“Mingyu, he’s allowed to have friends that aren’t us, you know that right?” Seungcheol said, furrowing his brows as Mingyu shut the door behind them. 

“I don’t think he’s going to see friends.” Mingyu sat on his bed. “He told me...something...when he was all loopy after his surgery...”

“Well...what did he say? I’m sure it was just the medicine talking if it...scared you for whatever reason...” seungcheol said, leaning against the bedpost.

“He said the managers get him drunk and then they have sex with him, he thinks it’ll make us famous.” Mingyu said, fast and quiet, like he didn’t even want to admit to himself that he heard jihoon say it. Seungcheol stood up straighter.

“That’s...a really serious statement, you know that right? That’s not...that’s not something to make up because you’re a little jealous that the guy you have a crush on goes out without you...” seungcheol said, crossing his arms.

“He really told me that, hyung. I...obviously have no proof that it happens, but he said it and I heard it. And I don’t think I was supposed to. I wouldn’t make that up.” Mingyu stood up, looking seungcheol in the eyes. 

“But...he goes out all the time, he wants to, nobody’s coming into the dorm and taking him, he leaves on his own, and he always seems...so happy about it.” Seungcheol said, rubbing his temples.

“I just...had to tell someone what he told me, because I don’t think he remembers...” mingyu sighed. “It’s fine, I’m sure you’re right, it was just him hallucinating or something..” seungcheol nodded. 

“If you...find some kind of evidence of this...let me know...” seungcheol said. “I don’t know what else to say, we can’t make him stay here...” mingyu sat back down and held his head in his hands.

“I just...i really like him, and if something were happening to him that he didn’t really want, it would kill me if I knew and didn’t say anything...” mingyu said, on the verge of tears.

“I’m not saying it’s right, but...if what you say is really true, he goes, willingly, to drink with them and it seems like he knows what they’re going to do...” seungcheol sighed. “It’s gross and it’s bad, but...he’s going willingly...”

“He thinks he HAS to! He thinks he has to if we want to debut...” mingyu choked back a sob. “It’s not right to have sex with someone when they’re drunk...and he thinks he has to...”

—

Jihoon giggled cutely as he usually would after a couple of shots. “Hyung~” He said, slipping his arm under his managers at the bar. His feet barely touched the ground from the bar stool, but they served him anyway. 

“You’re so cute like this, Everyone’s gonna love you someday, jihoon...” his manager said, holding onto jihoon’s arm, putting another shot in front of him. Jihoon knocked it back, the sweet liquor burning but tasting just like candy at the same time. He shivered, moving closer to the older man. “Keep being good for me and the rest of us, you’ll get there soon.” His manager smiled at him. 

The bartender looked sideways at this man with what looked like a young kid, but that young kid had an ID that said he was of age. A few more shots later, and Jihoon’s manager was holding his hands as he slid down from the bar stool, catching him when he almost fell forward. Jihoon just giggled, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Sorry~” He slurred, arm wrapped around his manager’s as he was lead back into the blacked out BMW.

Jihoon’s vision got more and more blurry, everything in front of him moving like they were on the ocean, not the road. “What time is it?” He mumbled, struggling to read the car’s clock. 

“It’s late, babe. I’m taking you home.” The manager said, resting a hand on jihoon’s leg. Jihoon was already blushing from the alcohol but his face got more red at the touch. “Everyone else is gonna be asleep, but you gotta do something for me before you go to bed...” jihoon nodded.

“I know hyung...” he bit his lip, gripping onto the door handle to stand up out of the car, and pushing it closed with his body weight. His manager was already on his side of the car, picking him up onto his back. Jihoon yelped, giggling as he held on. Everything in front of him got more and more blurry, and he barely registered being put on the couch in the living room of his dorm. He stared up at the spinning ceiling, and closed his eyes...

—

Mingyu laid awake in his bunk, acutely aware of Jihoon’s empty one below him. He lifted his head off the pillow when he heard the front door open, and someone mumbling and laughing before being hushed. Mingyu sat up in the dark, willing jeonghan to stop snoring so he could hear what was going on in the living room. 

“no, no no...please...” he heard, faintly, in a familiar voice, followed by muffled whines. He climbed off of his bunk as quickly and quietly as he could, and shook seungcheol awake.

“Shut up and listen...” he whisper yelled as the older boy started to complain about being woken up. Seungcheol’s eyes widened as he heard the cries coming from the living room. Mingyu stood back up and cracked their bedroom door open. And could barely make out two figures in the dark, struggling.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Mingyu yelled, turning the light on as their manager dropped a half naked Jihoon back onto the couch. 

“It’s none of your fucking business...” the older man stood up, coming at Mingyu, who being sober, had much more time to react and hit their manager square in the mouth. 

“call somebody...please...” mingyu told seungcheol, and grabbed jihoon off the couch, taking him into their bedroom and closing the door before the manager had time to stand back up. Jihoon was sobbing as Mingyu took him into the bathroom and sat him on the counter, grabbing a t shirt off the floor and pulling it over his head. “Shhh, ji, it’s alright, you’re okay...” He soothed, taking a cold wash cloth and holding it on jihoon’s forehead. 

“M-Minggu...” He slurred the younger boys name, holding onto his shoulders even after he had let jihoon go. 

“You’re alright hyung...” He soothed as Jihoon leaned into the sink and threw up. “Aish, you’re really drunk...” mingyu mumbled to himself, rubbing jihoon’s back softly, handing him napkins as he needed them.

“No one’s gonna...love me...” jihoon coughed, “I thought they wanted me, but that’s not what they wanted..” he sobbed, mumbling incoherently as he grabbed for the glass sitting near the sink. Mingyu took it, filling it with water and handing back to jihoon.

“I’m not gonna let that happen anymore, jihoon, I swear I won’t...” mingyu said as jihoon chugged his glass of water. “Slow down love, little sips, that’s it...” he moved jihoon’s hair out of his face as he started to lean forward onto his shoulder again. Mingyu lifted him off the counter and held him steady on his own two feet, grabbing a toothbrush and putting the toothpaste on it. “Brush your teeth and I’ll take you to bed...” jihoon sloppily brushed his teeth as Mingyu held onto his shoulders, just so he wouldn’t fall headfirst into the sink.

Seungcheol tapped on the bathroom door, poking his head in. “He’s gone, I called Pledis... he slipped in and closed the door behind him. “Jihoon-ah...” he looked the younger boy over. “Did he hurt you?” Seungcheol asked. 

“mmm...he tried hyung...he did it before though...” jihoon slurred, wrapping his arms around Mingyu’s waist, almost dead weight against him. Mingyu just held onto him, smoothing his hair down as he looked at seungcheol. 

“I’m sorry I brushed it off, mingyu...I just...i didn’t ever think this could happen...” seungcheol sighed, rubbing his head. “Take him to bed, I’ll make everyone else sleep in the living room.. and clean up the bathroom.” He scrunched his nose up and went back into the bedroom, where everyone else was awake anyway because of all the noise. 

“Cmon jihoon, I’ve got you...” he hooked an arm under jihoon’s legs and picked him up. “It’s just me and seungcheol hyung, nobody else has to know if you don’t want them to...” jihoon nodded. 

“Mm..mm I gonna die?” Jihoon said, barely audible as he tried to hide himself in Mingyu’s chest.

“No baby, you’re pretty drunk so I know you feel like you will, but you won’t, and I’ll be right here all night.” He set jihoon down on his bunk in their now empty bedroom. 

“Don’t let me die Minggu....” jihoon whined quietly, clinging onto Mingyu when he laid down next to him.

“I’m gonna keep you safe, love...I promise.”


	5. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucky for anyone reading but unlucky for me, i have a condition that makes the discs in my spine weak and sometimes the steroid injections I get for the pain wears off and I can’t do much besides go to class and lay in bed, so I’ve had plenty of time to work on this! It’s grown so much over the past couple of days, this fic actually started out as a prompt from one of my close friends, and was going to be a oneshot!

Jihoon slipped into a disrupted sleep, waking up late the next morning with a pounding headache and a hazy recollection of the previous night. He pushed himself up, and found himself tangled up with Mingyu, not his manager. 

“Shit...” he said under his breath, scrambling out of bed. “Sorry Mingyu, Sorry...fuck...” he mumbled, thinking he had somehow done something to Mingyu the night before. “I was drunk, I’m sorry...” mingyu opened his eyes.

“Jihoon hyung...” Mingyu yawned. “Why? What are you sorry for?” He rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes.

“You’re...in my bed and I was drinking, I must have done something...and whatever it was I’m sorry...” jihoon said, hands shaking as he bit his nails and looked for a longer pair of sweats. 

“Hyung.” Mingyu grabbed jihoon’s arm as the older boy paced. “You don’t remember what happened do you?” Jihoon shook his head. “You didn’t do anything to me, manager hyung...tried to...do something to you...” 

jihoon’s eyes widened as memories he tried so hard to suppress came flooding into his head. “Y-you...you weren’t...supposed to...know about that...” jihoon stuttered, unsure of what to do. “They’re gonna kick me out, fuck...they’re gonna make me quit...” he grabbed his hair, turning around.

“No! No jihoon, that’s not it at all...Mingyu tugged lightly on jihoon’s arm for him to sit down. “We’re going to help you okay?” Jihoon just stared into the older boy’s eyes.

“I don’t need help.” Jihoon said, standing up, grabbing his jacket off the desk chair and leaving the room in one swift motion. He strode past the other members who were gathered in the living room, and straight out the door. And he ran. He ran up the block and back down. Around it and a few blocks down. He ran all the way to their studio. He ran up the stairs, found his mixing booth and slammed the door, locking it behind him. He punched the wall and screamed in the soundproof room. He was breathing hard as he held onto his now bleeding knuckles with the other hand, and carefully lowered himself into the computer chair and sobbed Into his jacket sleeves.   
—  
Mingyu eventually emerged from the bedroom and was greeted by the rest of the members, all sitting quietly in the living room, and it felt like everyone was looking at him.

“Our schedule was cancelled today...we can go practice on our own if we want, but we don’t have to...” seungcheol explained. Mingyu nodded slowly. 

“I’m gonna...head up there...” mingyu said softly, shaking off the odd looks from the other members as he slipped out the door. He shoved his hands in his pockets when the cold air nipped at his fingertips. He walked over to their studio, expecting that’s where he would find Jihoon. He wandered up to the recording floor, hearing faint, pounding rhythms coming from one of the booths. He walked to the door it was coming from and jiggled the locked door knob. 

“Jihoon-ah...” he called, knocking on the door. He didn’t get a response. He sighed to himself, and turned around to see seungcheol walking down the hallway. 

“He can’t hear you, his headphones are soundproof too...” seungcheol said. “I know you want to help him, but right now I think what he needs is space, some time to figure out what he wants to do next...” he sighed. “Come on, let’s go get some coffee.” He turned around to go back down the hallway and mingyu reluctantly followed.  
—  
Jihoon stared into his bright computer screen, clicking the repeat button on the screen over and over, dead set on figuring out what was missing from this three second snippet of music. He had been in the dim room for hours. He looked down at the desk when he felt his phone buzz. It was a text from Mingyu. 

“Please come home, it’s late and we’re worried” his screen read. Jihoon pulled his headphones down around his neck and bit his lip. All he could recall from the night before was a feeling of dread, and the next thing he knew he was clinging onto Mingyu like his life depended on it. He never would’ve acted that way with someone else, so vulnerable and broken. He thought back to all the times he stumbled into their dorm in the middle of the night, and the only thing he could remember clearly was when Mingyu would be helping him get into his bed. His mind began wandering further as his thumbs hovered over his phones keyboard. He felt his stomach drop when he thought about getting Mingyu in his bed with him, a feeling he had only ever felt back when he was a teenager in high school and the senior girls would walk by his locker. Mingyu was always helping him, even when he was on a whole other planet after he had his wisdom teeth out.

“Can you come get me?” He typed back, heart skipping a beat as he pressed send. 

“Of course hyung, give me 5 minutes.” His phone lit up again and jihoon found himself grinning at the simple message. 

After a brief moment of bliss when Mingyu had his arm around jihoon all the way out to the car, he began to wonder if this crush would turn out the same as they always would.


	6. Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap you guys, im so sorry for not updating! Im so so busy with school and life and all this stuff thats wrong with my back, i had two surgeries over the past two weeks ㅠㅠ anyway heres a little something! Hope you guys like it!

Jihoon followed the police officers into a small room with only a few chairs and a table. One of the officers set a recording device down on the table.

“Start from the very beginning, tell us what happened. Don’t leave anything out even if you think it isn’t important.” The first officer said. Jihoon drew in a sharp breath, fighting back tears as he began recalling what had happened just a couple of nights ago. The officer placed a hand on his arm comfortingly.

“He had done this to me before but...i was so drunk i couldn’t fight him off...” he said, holding his head in his hands. “This time i wasn’t that drunk so i tried to get away but i couldn’t and my friends heard what was going on and they got him off me...” Jihoon started. He talked for what seemed like an eternity in his mind.

“And now i cant sleep at night, i get panic attacks, i never had that before...” he finished, rubbing his nose on his sleeve. “Thats all, thats all i have...” the officer stopped the recording. 

“We’ll be looking into this case as soon as we are able. In the meantime, it may help if you looked over a few of these. When you’re ready, of course. We will be in contact about the case.” The officer handed him a few pamphlets about dealing with traumatic events. Jihoon thanked them and walked out. Mingyu was waiting for him in the front of the police station.

“Are you alright hyung?” He stood up when he saw jihoon following the officers. 

“ ‘m okay...” jihoon sniffed, rubbing his eyes on his sleeve. “Tired of talking about it...” mingyu pulled him into a tight hug. 

“Then we don’t have to talk about it.” Mingyu said, drying the tears on jihoon’s cheeks with his sleeve. “Lets go get some food. Your pick.” Jihoon nodded.

“That hole in the wall ramen shop by the dorm?” Jihoon suggested, looking up at mingyu as they left the police station and started down the block. Mingyu laughed.

“I think you single handedly keep that place in business, lee jihoon..” he said, ruffling the older boys hair as he tried to get away.


	7. Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year~

Jihoon was startled out of a half-sleep when someone set a mug down on the desk next to his keyboard. It smelled warm and sweet, and made him want to curl up under all the blankets in the world.

“Hyung, can we talk? Please?” Mingyu’s voice pierced the soundproof studio. Jihoon stretched his arms out above his head and ran his hands through his hair.

“About what, min?” The older boy yawned, too sleepy to protest. 

“About you...” mingyu scratched his head. “Hyung, it’s 3 in the morning...why are you still here?” 

“Why are you still here?” Jihoon retorted, examining the hot chocolate and wrapping his cold hands around the mug. 

“I only came back after I woke up and you still weren’t home...” mingyu pulled an extra chair to sit next to Woozi. He looked at the computer screens and what seemed like miles and miles of music and notes. 

“I have to get this stuff done, you know that...” woozi sighed, blowing on the hot liquid. 

“You don’t have to lock yourself in the studio all day to do that. You don’t have to avoid us.  
You work so hard, hyung...I...we, think it’s taking a real toll on you...when was the last time you slept a full 8 hours?” 

“I don’t even know...” jihoon sighed, pushing his rolly chair around with his toes. 

“See? You need to give yourself breaks...this isn’t healthy, and neither is shutting us out and refusing to let us help you...” mingyu’s tone softened along with woozi’s heavy eyes.

“I just don’t want to let you guys down, we all work so hard on these albums, not just me.” He sighed. “We only get one chance to debut...” jihoon said, voice barely above a whisper.

“Hyung, please just let us help, let me help...whatever you’re going through, I want to help you...”

“ ‘m not going through anything...” woozi mumbled, sipping the sweet hot chocolate carefully. 

“Please don’t lie to me....” mingyu said, voice shaking as he gently tugged the older boy into his lap. Woozi set the mug back on his desk and let Mingyu hold him. “Please just give me a chance to help you..,”


End file.
